


want you to come back home

by racingtotheoblivion



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Reality, Bottom Sam, F/M, Fake Love, M/M, Sad Sam, Sam Leaves Dean, Sam Winchester Loves Dean Winchester, Sam worries, Sappy Dean, Set in Season 1, Top Dean, Top Dean Winchester/Bottom Sam Winchester
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-13
Updated: 2016-06-13
Packaged: 2018-07-14 20:47:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7189604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/racingtotheoblivion/pseuds/racingtotheoblivion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam and Dean go investigating when they're sent into an alternate universe where they're Sam Wesson and Dean Smith, boyfriends who are soon to be engaged. Things change and soon Sam realizes he wants to stay there. That, of course, doesn't happen.</p><p>Title from "Picture" by Kid Rock ft. Sheryl Crow.</p><p>Set in Season One, and is somewhat like the French Mistake.</p>
            </blockquote>





	want you to come back home

It only takes a few minutes for your life to change. Sam had already learned that with Jess, Dean with their mother, and every other person they had lost along the way. A minute made the difference between life and death, between winning and losing. Waiting a minute could have saved Mary’s life, could have saved all the lives that were lost because of the Winchesters. 

And whether it had been on purpose, or indirect, it was their fault. This world was going to start and end with the Winchesters, and it had been the plan all along. 

So that's why they find themselves investigating an abandoned warehouse. There isn't a case, but unfortunately Dean's chicken game made Sam agree that they should go in and test EMF. Dean's chicken game (or just Dean in general) always made Sam give in. 

It's been about a half hour after they walked in, and the building seems nothing more than what it is. Doesn't seem like a hideout for any type of creature, except for the occasional drug dealer or homeless person. 

Dean is still intent on walking through the building, though, even if his EMF hasn't gone off and their flashlights are working as well as ever. And the heat is still sticking to their skin, so there is definitely not a ghost. 

They go through a few more rooms, and with a sigh Sam turns to look at his brother. "Dean, there isn't anything here. Let's just go back to the motel and rest up for when we _actually_ find something to hunt." God knows Sam hasn't been getting enough sleep since Jess died – the truth is he can't sleep because he'll dream about it, and he's scared to wake up in case it happens again, with Dean. (Not that he'd admit that to his brother). 

"Just another room, Sammy. I know you're about ready to piss yourself with fear but this is so much better than being here on a case." 

Sam just rolls his eyes at his brother, shoving him to the side before he walks faster through the building. He just wanted to get out of there, not because something felt off, but just because the building was gross. But there was something off, too, but he couldn't put his finger on it. He really hopes they won't have to deal with a case, and he's glad when Dean doesn’t say anything about the weird feeling in this place. 

After a few more minutes Sam thinks Dean is ready to go, but a distinct accent is heard among the silence of the building. Both brothers look at each other before they quickly head towards the voice. It's getting louder and louder, and they find the room it's in. They quickly pull their guns and give each other the customary nod before Sam throws open the door. 

A normal looking person is there, but with a flash both brothers are on the ground. The creature just sighs and stares down at them, walks over to the wall, and presses his hand to the emblem on it. Everything around them goes up in a flash of bright light, and it's gone. 

 

** 

 

Sam groans when he hears loud beeping, and turns over on the too comfortable bed with a loud sigh. 

"Thought you couldn't get the alarm to work," he mumbles to Dean, still too asleep to notice the bed shifting and the alarm slowly shutting off. 

"I didn't," Dean slurs after a few seconds, and Sam's eyes shoot open. "I didn't get the alarm to work because there's no outlets in the motel..." 

Sam sits up and looks over to the side of the too nice room, still confused with sleep. "This isn't the motel," he says after a few seconds, looking over to Dean, and, to his shock, he's right there next to Sam, in the same bed with the too expensive, too nice alarm next to him. Sam quickly gets out of the bed and starts searching through the end table on his side of the bed, finding a wallet. 

"Yeah, okay, Sammy, you probably just plugged in the clock to screw with me. Nice try, but big brother knows best." 

The words are barely heard as Sam searches through the wallet. He finds a drivers license with his picture on it, but instead of reading _Samuel_ _Winchester_ he reads _Samuel_ _Wesson_. Without a second thought he goes to Dean's side of the bed, knocking through his end table. Sure enough, his driver's license still has his first name, but states his last name as Smith. 

"I didn’t print out new driver's licenses for the both of us and I couldn't possibly have repainted the entire hotel room, moved in new furniture, and moved us up to the second floor while you were sleeping." At that, Dean finally opens his eyes, sitting up as he rubs at his face. Both of them are shirtless and have on matching boxers – which wouldn't be a shock, except they definitely don't buy Calvin Klein, even with the fake credit cards (" _Walmart is the best bet, Sammy_.") 

Dean looks surprisingly calm about all of this, and just stares at Sam like he's mental and overreacting. At least he looks calm, until he glances over Sam's shoulder at the dresser. "Oh, God, please don't say that's real," he says quickly, rushing up out of the bed to go over to the picture frame that caught his eye. 

Sam turns to see Dean take the picture, blinking quickly as if his vision can't be trusted. "What is it?" Sam makes his way over and looks down at the picture, frowning slowly as he sees it. The picture shows him and Dean, standing in front of the Impala, not even paying attention to the camera. They're too caught up in each other, lips connected and eyes shut. 

"What the actual fuck is going on," Dean says, and it's more of a statement than a question. He knows Sam won't have the answer. 

Sam just continues to stare at the picture, somehow finding something amazing in this couple. Pushing the fact that they're brothers aside, this reality – or dream? – just gives them the perfect lives. It doesn't look like hunting consumes their lives, as they actually have a closet that Sam can see contains plenty of clothes, including a few suits that they would usually end up renting when on a hunt. 

"I need some coffee," Sam mumbles after a few seconds of actually picturing them together – he can't believe he would think such a thing, even in any alternate reality – and quickly makes his way out of the room. His predictions are correct, and he makes his way down the stairs into the kitchen, where he sees his parents. _Are they really my parents?_ Sam asks himself. _Or are they Dean's? Or just friends we live with?_  

"Morning, Sam," Mary says with a warm smile, setting out plates on the table. "Did Dean remember to set his alarm for you? You fell asleep before you could set yours and he said you had some meeting at the college today." 

Sam just stares blankly at Mary and John, not believing his eyes. He knows John was most likely still alive somewhere, but he hasn't seen Mary since that awful night, and he can't remember a thing besides cheap motels and long car rides and having to deal with John when he was in his moods. And Dean taking care of him, giving him the attention and love he needed from day one. 

"Where is Dean?" Mary asks softly, after a few minutes. "He should be down here by now…" 

Sam forced out a laugh, biting his lip as he crosses his arms loosely. "You know Dean, probably fell back to sleep." Mary laughs and nods slowly, setting a cup of coffee down in front of Sam. He goes to take a sip when he hears footsteps, then a gentle hand on his back. 

"Always a late sleeper. We got so lucky when he was born," Mary says with a sigh, smiling at Dean and Sam.

Dean rubs at Sam’s back gently when he sees him deflate. There was such a big hope that maybe he could've had them as parents, could’ve experienced the love he never got. But in some ways he knows Dean needed it more – he grew up the older brother, the man of the house when John was gone. Dean needs the love more than Sam does. 

"Shouldn't be drinking coffee, Sammy, you know what that does to your stomach," Dean says, and he's playing along with this so well Sam could kiss him. Which he probably will have to do at some point. "Don't want something to happen at the interview."

Dean then proceeds to go over to Mary, pulling her into a tight hug. After a few seconds of shock, Mary hugs him back just as tight, rubbing up and down on his shoulders gently. "Better get some breakfast and get going," John says after Dean pulls away from Mary. "Remember, you said you'd go in early before you went to the apartment." 

After a few seconds Sam gets up, smiling at the three of them before making his way up the stairs. He looks at the pictures hanging on the wall when he walks down the hallway, seeing photos of young Dean with his parents, and then photos of younger Dean with Sam. Sam walks into the bedroom, shaking his head while rubbing at his eyes. _Maybe if I_ _pinch myself_... 

Sam is already dressed in some nice clothes when Dean gets upstairs, grabbing his regular boots and clothes: plain shirt, flannel and dark jeans. 

"How exactly are you calm about this?" Sam asks, glancing at the calendar on the wall. It shows he has an appointment to get into the law program. He must still have gone into pre-law and they must be in California if he's going to Stanford. 

"Gotta be calm, Sammy. Won't help if both of us are freaked out," Dean says, changing out of his clothes before putting the new ones on. "Besides, it's just like working a case. We’ve played other roles, this time we’re just… Not brothers." 

"But, Dean-" 

"Sam. Chances are whatever threw us into this will drag us out when we play its game. So we have to go along with this. Just pretend it's fake." 

After a few moments, Sam nods, taking a deep breath before going to the mirror to fix his hair. "It's just a case." 

 

** 

 

Unsurprisingly, Sam remembers the way to Stanford, even from the house. Dean has a small panic attack when he opens the trunk to find his arsenal gone (" _Dean, really, it's not a big deal. We obviously don't need guns in this_." " _Dammit, Sam, Dad and I spent years collecting those. Now I'm just a normal guy with a nice car_.") 

They pull up to the building, Sam biting his lip as he looks up at it. "Good thing I still have my interview plan in my head," he says softly. 

"You'll do fine, kiddo," Dean says, smiling proudly at Sam. "It's gonna be a good interview and you're gonna do great and you'll get in." 

Sam bites his lip, looking at Dean before glancing back over. "Oh, God," he whispers, when his eyes land on people. Jess and Brady. Brady nudges Jess who turns and grins at Sam, her eyes moving between the two before wiggling her eyebrows. "Shit, are we supposed to kiss?" Sam mumbles, hoping they can't read his lips. 

Dean scrunches his nose up, but fakes a smile at Sam before grabbing his collar, pressing a quick but gentle kiss to his lips. "Have a great day, honey bunch," he says sarcastically, leaning over Sam to open the door. 

Sam rolls his eyes and replies with, "Oh, definitely. You two sweetie pie." 

To which Dean slaps his ass after Sam gets up, and laughs at the shocked expression on his face. "Speaking of, I could go for some pie," he says, winking playfully at Sam before Sam slams the car door, and Dean speeds off. 

Sam says a quick hi to Jess and Brady, says he's gonna be late for his interview, and speeds into the building. That seemed too easy. He’s only slightly disgusted with himself when he thinks this won't be so bad. 

 

** 

 

Sam finishes the interview and is told he'll get a call back in a few days. So he goes outside and wanders around campus, seeing everything how it was in the other world. The real world. 

Somehow Dean knew his interview had ended, because after a few minutes of walking the Impala pulls up next to him. Sam quickly gets into the car, leaning back against the seat with a sigh. 

Dean speeds off and they both stay silent, Sam staring out the window and Dean making subtle glances towards Sam. After a few minutes Dean starts talking quickly. "So, I guess we started apartment hunting, but mom and dad said they don't care if we stay. So maybe we should just not do anything until things are fine." 

Sam just nods, resting his chin in his hand before glancing over at Dean. "So you work at the garage with dad?" he asks softly. Dean nods in response. "I wonder who my parents are, then." 

"Your parents disappeared, apparently. They went on vacation and you were staying with Bobby. He got custody; that's how we met," Dean says softly, looking over at Sam at a red light. "At least mom and dad love you. At the garage dad said you were welcome to stay, just that I need to get my ass out." 

Sam smiles a little at that, looking over at Dean. "At least we have them," he whispers after a few seconds. 

Silence comes back, but Dean turns the radio on to play rock music (thankfully their dad still raised them on it). He speaks again after a few minutes, while he heads back to the garage. "I guess we’re, uh, pretty gross." 

"Gross? Well that definitely covers you," Sam says, earning a punch to his shoulder that he rubs with a laugh. 

"We’re one of those douchey chick flick couples, guess we’re all over each other or something." Sam can see the dread in Dean’s face as he talks. It’s already hard enough having to pretend to be together, let alone have to keep up with what this universe’s Sam and Dean are like. He still just can't believe Dean can be so calm about this, just showing slight facial expressions in revolt. Inside Sam feels like he's having a double heart attack – his brain is running a mile a minute and his chest keeps clenching. 

Dean goes to talk again but Sam just shakes his head. Dean thankfully sees and keeps his mouth shut, pulling into the garage. 

 

** 

 

Sam tries his best to play the role of doting boyfriend while Dean’s working, bringing him water when he looks like he could use it, toweling the back of his neck when he starts sweating. Dean just grins whenever Sam does anything, mumbles out a "Thanks, little Sammy," and continues working. 

When Dean’s break starts, he and Sam go sit at the table in the garage. They sit awkwardly, hoping no one comes and tries to talk to them. Or sees anything off about them. 

But of course, their luck has never been the greatest. 

"Hey, guys," a voice says, and Sam and Dean both glance up to see a shorter man – at least shorter than them. Thankfully he's wearing a shirt with his name stitched in ( _Gabe_ ), because Sam and Dean have never seen him before. 

"Hey, Gabe," Dean says, leaning over a little to pull up a chair between him and Sam. 

Gabe raises his eyebrows, laughing a little. "You think I'm gonna sit between you two? God, one of you would end up crushing me. Can't keep your hands off each other." Sam and Dean shared a look, both showing fear in their eyes. "Surprised you haven't been all over each other yet today." 

"Well, uh, it's just that-" 

Sam can't hold back when he sees Dean struggling, so he fakes a yawn and stretches back into the seat, reaching over to nudge Dean's arm. "Super tired after last night. Figured we'd tone it back today." 

"Yeah, you know Sammy, always has to get what he wants when he wants it," Dean says on instinct, grabbing Sam's hand off of his arm laughing a little. 

With his eyebrows raised, Sam scoots his chair closer to Dean's subtly. "Well I wasn't the one begging for me to do that thing," Sam retorts, tilting his head a little. 

"Oh, please, I wasn't the one doing the beggin'," Dean mutters, pulling Sam so he starts to slide off of the chair slightly, forcing him to stand up. He doesn't want to get any dirt on his pants, is Sam's excuse, but really he just moves closer to Dean. A hand rests on his hip perfectly, and he looks down at Dean with a smile sneaking onto his lips. _This is way too easy_ , Sam thinks again. "So hard to keep you quiet." Dean rests his head against Sam's stomach, and he's a little shocked that Dean can actually go through with this, can actually act like they're a couple. Sam figures he would've holed himself up until he found an answer. 

Sam curls his fingers in Dean's short hair, scratching at his scalp gently when he hears a voice that takes him back to his childhood – real and alternate. 

"Thought I raised you better than to be all over him in public, idjit," Bobby grumbles out, slapping Sam on the back which pushes Dean's face into his stomach more. Both of them laugh. 

Sam slowly slides his hand out of Dean's hair, turning to face Bobby. "Hey," he says, grinning before pulling him into a hug. He pulls back and steps back a little, letting out a nervous laugh when he backs into Dean, who puts his hand on Sam's hip gently. 

"Good to see you two," Bobby says, nodding at the both of them before smiling. A true smile that brings bigger smiles to Sam and Dean's faces. "Oh, Dean, thank your mom for inviting me to dinner last night." 

Dean nods, tightening his grip on Sam's side, and Sam leans into it slightly, letting his eyes close for a few seconds. "Will do, Bobby," Dean says, rubbing Sam's side a little. "You're welcome over anytime, you know. We always enjoy having you over." 

Bobby smiles more, nodding. He takes off his baseball cap and pushes his diminishing hair back, putting it back on afterwards. "Well, I'm just here to drop some stuff off to your dad."

They all exchange goodbyes, and soon Dean goes back to work, planting a kiss on Sam's cheek before doing so. 

 

** 

 

Sam stays at the garage for the rest of the day, and although he wishes he could go off on his own, he doesn't have a car and doesn’t want Dean to be stuck here until he gets back. So he waits until Dean's shift is over and leaves with him, hand in hand, because, well, people are watching. Everyone apparently knows they're together, which proves Dean's "we're gross" thing to be correct. 

Dean opens the door for Sam, who gets into the car. When Dean gets in and starts driving, he rests his hand on Sam's leg, tapping his thumb on the outside of his thigh. 

"Dean," Sam says after a few moments, glancing over at him. "No one's watching us, you don't have to..." 

Almost immediately, Dean pulls his hand away, sighing softly. "Sorry, forgot," he says slowly, putting that hand on the wheel and moving the other to rest on his own leg. He doesn't talk for the next few minutes of the car ride, and doesn't wait for Sam to get out of the car before he's walking up to the house. 

Sam stays in the car for a while, and then finally makes his way inside, sliding his shoes off at the door to carry them upstairs. He goes into his – _their_ – room and sets his clothes down on the ground in the closet. He grabs a random t-shirt and changes out of his clothes, pulling the shirt on. When he goes to get a pair of sweatpants – which he really hopes they have in here – his back is to the door, and soon he feels the familiar hands on his sides. 

Although he leans into the touch, he lets out a soft sigh, turning his head slightly to look at Dean. "Dean, there's no one around, sto-" 

"We need to look believable. For when we're around people," Dean retorts almost too quickly, like he had planned to say this even if Sam didn't try to tell him to stop. "We can't just be unprepared when we have to kiss or something." 

Sam lets out another sigh and turns around, resting his hands on Dean's cheeks before he presses a soft kiss to his lips. His eyes flutter shut as they kiss, an uneasy feeling settling into the pit of his stomach. When he goes to pull away, Dean rubs his side gently with his thumb. 

"We're not brothers here, okay? If that's what you're worried about," Dean whispers, brushing his lips against Sam's again, a hand sliding down to the small of Sam's back. "Little Sammy." 

Sam breathes out slowly, his eyes staying shut as he tries to ground himself. _If we play along we'll get out. If we pretend to be together we'll get out. We have to figure out why we're here. It's just like a normal case._  

His lips close in on Dean's again, and Sam completely forgets the sweatpants he wanted, because Dean has a steady grip on his hips and he's lost in the feel of the smile against his lips. Maybe he's wanted this all along. 

 

** 

 

The next few days fly by in an easy breeze, Sam getting more used to the idea of actually going through with this. He doesn't hesitate in the mornings when they're in front of Mary and John to give Dean a kiss (and sometimes doesn't hesitate when they're alone, either). 

He gets a call back for his interview, and he's in the law program starting in the winter session. He still goes into the garage with Dean, and talks more and more with everyone. He visits Bobby often and eventually things start feeling normal. Which they shouldn't be. It shouldn't be normal to start having feelings for your brother who still calls you little. 

It's a week after they first arrived in this fantasy land, meaning early Saturday morning. Sam wakes with Dean's arm curled around his waist, soft breaths hitting the back of his neck. He relaxes back down, sliding his hand up to rest on Dean's. It's been a whirlwind of a week, but he feels closer to Dean. Hopefully when they get back to normal world – if they get back there, Sam isn't sure he wants to go back – they'll be close, instead of still arguing about Stanford and Jess and hunting too much. 

Sam lets his eyes open when Dean snuggles closer to him, pressing a few gentle kisses to his skin before rubbing over his stomach and chest gently. "Morning, Sammy," he mumbles against Sam's skin, and Sam can't help but smile as he lets out a breath. 

"Morning," he whispers, slowly moving to face Dean. He lifts his hand up to rest on his cheek, brushing his thumb over Dean's lips. 

Real World Dean isn't like this. He doesn't have gentle mornings like this, doesn't get a full eight hours like he's supposed to. He's lucky to get four, if that. He doesn't shut his eyes again after he wakes up, doesn't talk in his soft voice with Sam. He doesn't have the strain of hunting to keep him awake and to keep him exhausted; although this world has brought confusion it has also brought peace. 

"Wanna go take a shower?" Dean asks quietly, his eyes slowly opening to look at Sam. 

Sam who's frozen, his hand sliding off of Dean's face slowly. Sure, they'd kissed, but showering naked together? Sam thought that might be pushing it too far. But since he's a sucker for Dean, and would do anything for him, he agrees. 

It's awkward as they undress, Sam trying to avoid looking at Dean but feeling the green eyes burning into his skin. Sam turns on the water and quickly gets into the shower, taking deep breaths when he hears Dean follow. 

He turns slightly and sees Dean grabbing the shampoo bottle, then pulling Sam over gently. "Gotta kneel down, you're too tall," he says softly, so soft Sam can barely hear him over the shower head, but still understands and crouches down slightly. He shuts his eyes as Dean starts washing his hair, his fingers working into his scalp just perfectly that Sam lets out soft noises as it goes on. He swears he hears Dean say what sounds like, "So beautiful, Sammy," but he isn't sure. 

Dean ends up washing him and just taking care of him in the shower, and Sam feels so grateful that he has someone who cares about him. And when he feels Dean's head on his back, and something too out of range and random to be from the shower head, he says nothing, just bites his lip and closes his eyes. 

 

** 

 

Sam makes his way down the stairs after staying in the room after their shower, telling Dean he had a headache. Dean just pressed a kiss to his forehead before nodding, making his way out of the room alone. Now, Sam stops on the stairs, hearing soft talking from the kitchen. 

"You really should ask him, Dean. He's already practically part of the family," John says. 

Sam can hear a gentle thud and a soft laugh coming from Mary. "Don't pressure the boy, he'll do it on his own time. When he thinks they're ready." 

"I'm just... scared," Dean says softly. Sam bites his lip and looks down at his feet, straining to hear as Dean's voice drops more. "Just... what if he doesn't want to? What if he thinks it's too soon, or wrong?" 

"You'll figure it out, kiddo," John says after a few seconds. When it's silent for a few more moments, Sam walks the last stair and goes into the kitchen, going over to the stool Dean's sitting at. 

Before pressing his lips to Dean's, he mumbles softly, "It's right." 

 

** 

 

Another week passed. Sam and Dean were closer than ever, joined at the hip constantly. All of the awkwardness washed away, and all that was left was their love, that was hidden in the real world. Because they didn't want to admit it. 

Dean takes Sam out to dinner at a nice restaurant nearby, one that Sam was going to take Jess to before the incident. He tries not to think about it at dinner, and instead focuses on Dean's smile and laugh and the way he kisses the frosting from the piece of cake they shared off of Sam's lip. It's all too perfect, and Sam just wants to get home. 

They eventually do, after finishing dinner – which was fantastic, and weird to see Dean not use a fake credit card and actually dress up more than a flannel and jeans. When they get back to the house, John's car is gone. They get inside and the door's barely shut before Sam has Dean pushed against the wall, kissing him sloppily as he tugs at his shirt so it's not tucked in. 

"Sammy," Dean mumbles with a laugh, but Sam just kisses down to Dean's neck, unbuttoning his shirt quickly while sucking under his jaw. "Sammy, you can slow down," he says, resting his hands on Sam's sides before squeezing gently. 

Sam breathes out slowly, rucking Dean's undershirt up just slightly to rest his hands on his stomach, tracing over the light abs that aren't as noticable as in the real world. "Just want you, Dean," he whispers slowly, lifting his head back up to press another kiss to Dean's lips. 

Dean just smiles and shakes his head, kissing Sam gently before sliding his hands down to rest on his thighs. "Up," he mumbles, and Sam carefully lifts his legs up, biting his lip and laughing a little when Dean struggles to get his weight balanced. "Fuckin' giant, can't even carry you anymore," he says, but still manages to get Sam up the stairs to their room. 

He sets Sam on the bed before shutting the door, going over to him afterwards. Sam had already gotten his shirt off and is looking up at Dean, leaning back onto the bed when he climbs on top of him. 

"You were always such a pretty little kid. Still pretty now, of course," Dean says, rubbing his hands over Sam's chest and stomach. He still has on his freshman fifteen (which at this point is a lot more than fifteen) but besides from a little chub on his stomach he still is lean and slim from the hunting he did when he was younger. "Was worried when we'd go to those sleazy motels. Dad always made sure I kept an eye on you." 

Sam lets out a breathless laugh, lifting his hips slightly when Dean starts to unbutton his pants. "Oh, please, you were too busy being all over every girl within a ten mile radius," he argues back, keeping his hips lifted while Dean pulls the pants off of his legs. "Jess barely even knew you and knew she went for the wrong brother. I mean, just look at you." 

"Well, I am pretty handsome," Dean says, leaning down to press his lips to Sam's chest. "I think it's the tattoo. You should get one." 

Sam rolls his eyes, trying to push Dean's shirt off. "Sure, Dean," he says softly. When Dean lifts his arms up Sam pulls the shirt off, then the undershirt, grinning a little. "I'll get a tattoo just as soon as you get a belly button piercing." Dean's still thinking of a comeback when Sam slides his hand down Dean's stomach, rubbing at the slight bulge visible under his dress pants. His hips automatically roll forward, and Sam laughs a little as he continues rubbing. "Smooth, Dean." 

Just as soon as Dean became unfocused, he gets out of it, sitting back to pull Sam's boxers off. "Maybe you should get a belly button piercing. It'd look good, especially with your little tummy." 

"You did not just say that. Mr. I'm-A-Big-Bad-Hunter Dean did not just say tummy." 

"Shut up, Sammy," Dean mumbles, tossing Sam's boxers to the side before getting up, taking his own pants and boxers off in, what looks to Sam, record speed. Sam watches as Dean walks around the room, checking drawers in their dresser and end tables before finding a bottle of lube in Sam's. "Really, dude? Strawberry?" 

Sam sits up and takes the bottle from Dean, sighing softly. "Sure you bought it to make fun of me now," he says, opening the bottle before pouring some onto his fingers. "Don't think you're man enough after saying tummy to do this part." 

"Says the guy who has strawberry friggin' lube," Dean mumbles, but he quickly quiets down his laughs when Sam shifts up onto his knees, leaning over slightly. 

Dean bites down on his lip as Sam shifts on his knees, carefully moving his fingers up before pressing one slowly into himself, biting his lip at the intrusion. It's not much but Sam hasn’t done this since he was a young boy, still in high school, still exploring.

He finally gets his finger moving and lets out a moan, moving his hips slightly. He feels Dean’s hand on his back and leans into it. When Dean tells him to add another finger he does, and somehow slips into submissiveness under Dean’s voice, waiting for his direction to tell him what to do. 

He's soon stretched out to three fingers, rocking back and forth when he finally lets out the whimper of “ _Dean_ ” when he's told to stop. Sam slides his fingers on and moves to lay on his back, breathing deeply. He's already covered in a light sheen of sweat, just getting hotter as he watches Dean, lets his eyes travel down his body. 

It only takes a few moments of stroking Dean’s shaft with the lube before he feels the head of his erection pushing into his still too-tight heat, barely able to make it through. 

“God, Sammy, thought we were all over each other,” Dean jokes in a grunt, settling his hands down on either side of Sam's body. 

“Guess you're just not that good,” Sam grumbles out teasingly, rocking his hips slightly to get used to Dean. Of course, after he makes that comment Dean isn't as gentle, and quickly pushes in the rest of the way, making Sam gasp and groan out loudly, digging his nails into Dean’s arm. “Fuck you,” he manages out, relaxing slowly into the odd feeling. 

Dean lets out a breath, smiling down at Sam as he shifts his hips slightly. He takes Sam into his hand, chuckling a little as he moves his hand up and down his shaft. “Well, I can see you got the good genes. No wonder the girls always liked you.” 

Sam chokes out a laugh, moving his hand to rub at the back of Dean’s neck. “Shut up, Dean,” he mumbles, pulling him down for a kiss. 

Sam doesn't expect Dean to be this gentle during sex. Usually when he's told to sleep in the bathroom, it's loud and quick. This is different, though. Sam shuts his eyes as Dean kisses him slowly, lifting one of Sam’s legs up onto his shoulder. A smile makes its way into Sam’s face when Dean presses a few kisses to the side of his calf, his hips moving slowly and just enough to make sure Sam isn't uncomfortable. 

His pace slowly speeds up as Sam starts relaxing more, his head resting back against the pillow with a heavy breath. Sam feels weightless, floating on a cloud as he rests back on the bed. He feels Dean's skin under his fingertips, feels his breath hitting against his face in gentle puffs that remind Sam of when he's running to train for a hunt, when it's summertime in '96 and the humidity surrounds them as they're lighting fireworks, when Sam truly sees Dean, sees him and realizes that- 

"I love you, Dean," Sam breathes out, his eyes opening to look up at Dean, who is still moving his hips, stuttering just slightly at Sam's words. "Not just here. Every place we are. I'll love you everywhere." _I was made for loving you_. 

Dean just smiles and shakes his head, moving his hips again with more purpose this time. "You're crazy, Sammy," he mumbles, pressing a kiss to Sam's cheek. 

But after they're done, and Dean's curled around Sam with the covers pulled up, and Sam's pretending to be asleep, he hears it. Dean presses a soft string of kisses to the back of Sam's neck, along with a whisper of, "Love you too." 

 

** 

 

Sam knows it's coming to an end when he hears that voice again. The distinct voice that belongs to the person who brought them here. He was hoping he'd never hear it again. He really likes this world, even if it's just a fantasy land. 

He's at the store with Dean when he hears it. Dean has his arms curled around Sam's waist from behind, dragging his fingers over his stomach to tickle him. "We don't need that, Sammy, let's just get home," he says, nudging his nose up the side of Sam's neck. They move to the cart like this, and Sam pushes it while Dean keeps his arms wrapped around him. "Maybe I'll have a surprise for you." 

Sam just rolls his eyes, turning his head back to look at Dean. "Gonna cook me dinner?" he teases with a smile. It's then that he hears it, and Dean must have heard it too but he's ignoring it, opting to freeze up for a few seconds before kissing along Sam's neck again. 

"So nice to see young couples not caring what people think." And he looks like a normal human to Sam, doesn't flash black eyes or disappear in front of them. 

He just hopes they have enough time to make a little forever in this imaginary world, enough that they can both be happy for the first time since their mom died. 

 

** 

 

It's apparently this world's Sam and Dean's anniversary. Which, surprisingly, Dean cooks dinner. And although it's simple – okay, less than simple – with grilled burgers and homemade macaroni salad, it's perfect for them. As Winchesters or Smith and Wesson, it fits perfectly. 

Dean spills ketchup on his shirt and gets angry (" _It's a nice shirt, Sammy. You don't understand._ "), but Sam promises to clean it if he just smiles. The smile trick always works, just as the chicken trick always works on Sam. 

They eat their burgers and laugh out on the back porch, and Sam knows Mary and John are watching. He can see them in the window when he glances to the house, can see a flash of Mary's light hair before the curtain swings back over the window. He thinks it's cute that she's here in this universe, and that John cares about him and Dean with his entire being. 

It's dark when they start eating dessert – a pint of ice cream – and Sam keeps nudging the spoon on his cheek on accident (purpose) and Dean keeps kissing it off of them because they "don't have napkins", even though the kitchen is just a door and a few steps away. 

They're laughing about Dean getting another stain on his shirt from the ice cream when things start to get serious. Dean looks at Sam with a soft smile, and Sam can't help but return it, although weary of what will happen. 

"So I guess I was going to propose in this world or something, and everyone keeps thinking I have cold feet. Which I don't have, because I'm not a wimp." Sam just lets out a laugh, shaking his head slowly. "I'm not getting down on one knee or anything because I like these jeans. Marry me." 

Of course, Sam says yes. The second the ring goes on everything turns to black. Sam knew this would happen. 

 

** 

 

They're back in the abandoned building, back in the same room. Sam opens his eyes slowly and looks around, seeing Dean on the floor next to him. He looks down at himself and still sees the ring on his finger, so maybe... Checking his pockets, he pulls out the picture, smiling when he sees him and Dean from the other world, in front of the Impala. He just wanted to keep it, and he knows Dean found another picture and kept that one. 

Dean wakes up a few minutes after Sam with a jump, gasping and panicking as he jumps to his feet. Sam doesn't know how he does it, because his head is pounding. "Where the hell are we?" Dean growls out, walking around the room quickly. 

"We're back," Sam whispers, twisting the ring on his finger slowly while gnawing at his lip. "Back to being Winchesters." He should be happy about it, but deep down in his gut he feels like letting a tear slip, wishing to someone, somewhere, he could go back to being Sam Wesson, soon-to-be Smith. 

The man walks in, and Dean quickly walks towards him. "Listen, buddy, do you think that was a fuckin'-" 

Dean is thrown back against the wall without even a look in his direction, and Sam scoots back from where he's sitting, immediately getting up and rushing over to his brother. "Dean!" he yells, panic in his voice as he crouches down next to Dean, brushing his hair back with gentle hands. 

"'m fine, Sammy," Dean mumbles, slowly locking eyes with his brother. "It's okay." 

Sam keeps a hand on Dean's hair before turning to look at the man in the room with them, his brows furrowing as he glares. "Who are you?" he asks. "What did you do?" Whether he was referencing to the alternate universe, or throwing Dean against the wall, Sam wasn't sure. 

"Introductions are in order, I believe," the man says, walking over to Sam and Dean. Without a second thought Sam holds his brother's head in a more protective manner, Dean still on the ground from the impact. "You're Dean and Sam Winchester, sons of Mary and John. Your father's still alive, by the way, just in the dark. I'm Balthazar." 

"As in Balthazar, the angel?" Dean grumbles from the floor, slowly moving to sit up. Sam keeps a hand on his back to help him, and although Dean grumbles more at that he doesn't try to pull away. "Angels can't possibly exist." 

Balthazar just looks at Dean, and soon the shadow of wings show up on the wall behind him. "There are many of us. This wasn't part of the plan, of course, but I had to do something." 

"Send us to a reality where we’re together? Make us be a couple? Couldn't you have just _talked_  to us?" Dean says, anger brushing his tone as the words come out almost as a growl. Sam's heart breaks at that, when he realizes Dean didn't want it to be real as much as he did.

Balthazar nods, pacing a little in the room as he ponders something. "Yes, well. You weren't necessarily supposed to see _that_ reality. I must have slipped up somewhere. Terribly sorry." 

Sam stares at the man – angel, whatever – with wide eyes, breathing out a little. Everything was crashing down around him. "You mean we aren't supposed to-" 

"This is obviously the real world, Sam. If we intended for you to fall in love with Dean Mary and John simply would not have had two sons," Balthazar says, and Sam chances a glance at Dean, who is just seething and Sam can tell he's holding back with everything he has. "We would have kept Karen Singer alive and well, and you would have been born to the man you call Bobby and his wife. 

"We had that planned for a long time, surprisingly. Of course, when it came down to it, we realized Mary would not have died if Sam had been born to the Singers. So we went with our original plan, the right one." 

Sam's chest contracted and he let out a heavy breath, shaking his head slowly. "So, you mean to tell me..." He stood up and went over to Balthazar, his voice dropping to make sure Dean doesn't hear. "You're telling me that you sent us there accidentally and now I'm in love with my _brother_? What am I supposed to do, then?" 

Balthazar shrugged, giving Sam a sad smile. "All alternate realities have a touch from the real world." Before Sam could ask how that was supposed to help him, Balthazar snapped his fingers and they were flashed away. 

 

** 

 

Sam sits up in his hotel bed, breathing out as he glances around the room. One of their guns is on the table, and Dean's in the other bed, just sitting up too. Sam can barely stand to look at his brother, because he wants to go back. He wants to go back and be with Dean, have a small wedding and finish law school and become successful while Dean inherits the garage from John, and maybe they'll adopt a child and raise him or her with love and love each other and just be happy. 

Instead, they're brothers. All they've ever been, even when Sam pined after his brother when he was younger, and even now. Even when he got back, when Dean had him pinned to the ground in the living room of his and Jess's apartment. 

"Well, that was weird," Dean said, slowly getting up. He was still sore from being thrown into the wall, but he made his way to the table, grabbing the keys to the Impala. "Gonna go out for a while, don't wait up." 

Sam can feel his heart snap when Dean slams the door. 

He gets up and follows Dean after he drives away, knowing the exact place he's going. There's a bar down the road and Sam just knows. Walking to the bar, he sees a family walking down the sidewalk, sees a happy couple with a stroller. He quickly turns his head and convinces himself to focus on the bar. 

Dean is already inside when he gets there, and Sam picks a spot down on the other end of the bar. It doesn't matter, though: Dean has his attention focused on the woman sitting next to him, already has his hand on her thigh as he drinks his beer. Sam just orders a water, continues to watch as Dean eye-fucks this stranger, and Sam remembers the night when Dean was so gentle with him, and now he realizes that's because that's what he was _supposed_ to do. He wasn't lusting after Sam like he does with these women, he was just doing what he thought he was supposed to do in the other world. 

When Dean drops money on the bar and he and the girl get up, Sam turns away. Dean isn't even paying attention, anyways, just walks out with that girl, the girl that's gonna leave immediately after and leave his brother sated until the next town, the next girl he sees with a big rack and a nice ass and is too eager to say _yes_  to him, too eager to just let go of her dignity and go sleep with someone who won't be there the next week. 

Sam asks for a piece of paper from the bartender, dropping money for the water before writing out a note. He leaves and walks back to the hotel, hoping he doesn't hear anything. These girls are always too loud, over the top, because they think that's what men like, but Sam knows Dean just picks these women because they don't need a date first. 

He slides the paper under the door and leaves, buys a cheap junker off of someone in the hotel room a few doors down, thanking the man before he speeds off in silence, feeling small tears stream down his cheeks. He didn't want to leave Dean again, but when the person you love doesn’t love you back it's hard to watch as they avoid happiness to be alone. 

When Dean finishes up with the girl – Angie, he thinks her name is – she gets dressed and goes to leave. Dean shuts his eyes again, until he hears her heels clicking over to the bed, a piece of paper dropping on his chest. "It was under the door," she says, and then she's gone, the door clicking after her. 

Dean picks up the note, his eyes skimming over the words as he mouths them slowly:

 _Dean,_  

 _Don't wait up for me. Going off on my own. Need some space. Don't call, don't try to find me. Just forget about me._  

 _Sam_  

 

** 

 

 _Three months later_  

Dean rolls over on the bed, breathing out slowly before forcing out a laugh. 

"What's so funny?" Lisa asks, pulling the blankets up over her before turning onto her side, looking at Dean with a smile playing on her lips. 

Dean shakes his head a little, looking up at the ceiling with a sigh. "Just didn't think I'd be back here. It's been a month and it's just... Odd, feeling normal." _But I don't want normal_. 

Lisa just smiles more, patting Dean's chest. "Just get some sleep. Ben wants you to take him to the park tomorrow morning." 

With a nod, Dean turns over onto his side, after squeezing Lisa's arm and giving her a kiss goodnight. He listens to Lisa until he hears her breathing even out, and then he reaches into the bedside table, grabbing the pictures he brought with him. The only memories of before, besides the Impala and the storage unit he has holding all of the weapons he'd collected over the years.

The top picture shows the family – John, Mary, little Dean, and Sammy, just a few weeks old. Dean smiles, tracing over his mom's face slowly before breathing out a little. The next picture he remembers clearly – he had bought Sam a polaroid camera for his tenth birthday, because he wanted to remember the places they'd gone. Of course, he left them behind when he went for Stanford. All of these pictures were taken off guard, whether it be a sleeping Dean, or Dean grabbing the camera to take silly pictures of Sam. Of course, there's pictures of them together – in the back seat of the Impala, a picture of them passed out on the couch at Bobby's, some from when they pretended to be tourists in a small town off the Mississippi River. 

And then the picture of them in front of the Impala, which Dean is still shocked about, because not only do angels exist, alternate realities exist and pictures can somehow travel through them. He stares at the picture with his chest pounding, his teeth gnawing at his lip. Somehow, when that was going on, he knew that it was right. He remembers when he realized Sammy was growing up, when he outsmarted Dean at the young age of 13, when he got his growth spurt, when he left for Stanford. Dean was too broken up about that. He could barely hunt, didn't want to talk to anyone, and John always got angry because he shouldn't be that upset over his brother leaving. 

Now, Dean knows. It was always more than just that. They were never a normal family – Dean having to take the role as dad for Sam and getting too involved, trying to show him what girls liked and what they didn't like and how to protect yourself even better on hunts by having a partner. Little did he know he was meant to be Sam's partner in everything. Simple things like getting coffee in the morning seem weird without Sam's voice, mentioning a case or talking about what he missed during the past few years. 

Dean quietly slips out of bed, grabbing his bag – which he never unpacked – and shoving the pictures in there. He pulls on his clothes quickly, looking at Lisa with a heavy heart. Back in '99 it was easy leaving, and in a way it still is now. He pictures his life with Lisa simply because it was the only normalcy he had with a woman, the stability away from hunting. It wasn't so much her, it was more so the idea of a family and waking up normally and not being on the move constantly and not having to worry about what the supernatural world will bring next. 

He plants a kiss on her forehead before walking out, grabbing the note Sam left for him when he goes out to the car. 

 

** 

 

Sam goes up to the house, ringing the doorbell. He hasn't been here in a long time, but still figured out the way. 

He spent the last months moving on through towns, picking up odd jobs to pay for a hotel room to stay at until he decided to leave. He tried picking up one night stands like his brother always did, but whenever he did he looked over at the framed picture he had of him and Dean and couldn't do it. His heart ached when he saw the picture, but he still has it, tucked in the bottom of his duffel. 

Bobby opens the door, sighing softly. "Hey, Sammy," he says, stepping out of the way. He doesn’t seem surprised to see Sam, like he knew he'd be here. "Your idjit of a brother's been calling once a day, seein' if you showed up." 

"I'd rather he not know, honestly," Sam says, stepping into the house. He slips his shoes off and looks around, turning to face Bobby. "What was Karen like?" 

Bobby looks at Sam with furrowed eyebrows, crossing his arms after shutting the door. "How'd you hear about her?" 

Sam shrugs slowly, setting his bag down by his shoes slowly. He'd rather not tell the truth, because it will lead to more questions. But he does anyways. "I was told if I wasn't born to my parents, you and Karen would've been my parents." 

Bobby nods slowly, taking Sam into the library to sit down. He tells him what a sweet soul Karen was, but that she was possessed and died while trying to exorcise her. Sam immediately regrets bringing it up, and he's surprised Bobby tells him. "Who told you that?" 

"It's a long story." 

"Well, I obviously have time, Sam." 

Before Sam starts talking, he looks away from Bobby. "An angel sent Dean and me to an alternate universe where we were a couple and when we got back said angel told me that if that universe was the case in the real world you would have been my parents." 

"D'you..." Bobby trails off, looking focused as he tries to think of what to say. He decides then to tell Sam more things, turning to face him with a sigh. "Your daddy told me something was gonna happen. Apparently you were growing up too fast and he saw the way Dean looked at you. Guess he figured it was too much together time, which was damn right, but he knew he couldn't stop it." Before Sam could protest, Bobby continued talking. "I know nothing was there, Sam, don't get your panties in a twist. What I'm saying is that this was bound to happen sometime." 

They sit in silence after that, Sam not knowing what to say. He just stares at the wall, breathing out slowly. Was it really always there? Did they actually think it was gonna happen? He guesses he can remember the nights he was half asleep when Dean carried him into the motel, the nights John walked in silently as Dean pressed kisses to little Sammy's face, whispering about how he hopes that Sam has good dreams, and another kiss to his lips when he mumbles an _I love you_. He guesses it was always there. 

He crashes on the couch and Bobby brings out a blanket, covering him up before he goes to call Dean. 

 

** 

 

Dean gets the call around midnight, when he's driving down the highway with no clue where to go. Sam could have gone anywhere – back to California, to Lawrence, to any random town where he knew he wouldn't be found. It's really pissing Dean off, because the least Sam could do is check in with him every once in a while and tell him he's okay. 

He answers the phone when he sees it's Bobby, not even saying a hello. "Did you hear from Sam?" 

Bobby sighs on the other end, and Dean bites his lip. "Yeah, I heard from him," Bobby says after a few seconds. "He's here on my couch, right now. I just wanted to tell you." 

Dean instantly relaxes, nodding a little as he speeds up a little. "Okay, well, I'll be there sometime tomorrow, okay? Don't tell him I'm coming, he'll leave again." 

"Must've really screwed up this time, dumbass." Bobby hangs up. 

 

** 

 

Bobby has a breakfast from some diner downtown, and Sam thanks him before he starts eating. His stomach is queasy, though, and he blames it on nerves from realizing the truth. 

They sit in silence while they eat, Sam barely touching his food while Bobby clears his plate. Bobby watches Sam with concern in his eyes, and when he thinks that Sam is a lost cause on conversation, he stands up. 

Sam rests his chin in his hand, still moving his food around with a fork. "I think I love him," he says after a few seconds, his voice soft. He feels vulnerable, like an idiot. He feels like he's young little Sammy, getting yelled at by his dad for not paying attention on a hunt, because he feels guilty and nervous and on the verge of tears. 

Bobby frowns and walks over to Sam, patting his back slightly. He's not really sure how to comfort him. "Just wait and talk to him later, when you're ready. What happens happens." 

Sam stays at the table for a few hours, freezing when someone pounds on the door. He hears Bobby's boots clunking against the ground before he opens the door, and Sam swears his heart stops when he hears Dean's gravely voice, sounding anxious and impatient. 

"Where's Sammy?" Dean asks, and he assumes Dean walks right in because he can hear Bobby muttering, "Well come right in, then, thanks for coming over." 

Sam turns slightly in his chair to face where he knows Dean will come in, and even though he wants to be mad at Dean for going off with a random girl he can't stop his body from relaxing the instant he sees Dean walk in. 

"Sam," he whispers, and walks quickly over to where he's sitting, and before Sam knows it he has his brother's plump lips against his own, a hand cupping the back of his neck. Sam moves his hand up to rest on Dean's side, kissing back with just as much emotion, grabbing at Dean's shirt when he pulls away. "I didn't... I didn't think-" 

"Obviously you didn't." 

"Sammy, shut up," Dean mumbles with a smile, curling his fingers through Sam's long hair. "I didn't think that you would still feel that way, after we got out of there. And I tried just forgetting, like you said, but it was impossible. I, uh, went back to someone, and I thought it would help but it only made me think of you even more. Because every person I could possibly be with doesn't have your smile, or your laugh, doesn't feel the way you do." 

Sam laughs, and Dean glares at him with a sigh. "Dean Winchester is actually being a sap." 

"Shut up," Dean says again, gripping onto Sam's hips before kissing him again, sloppy and hard but full of love. 

And if Bobby secretly witnesses this, well, he'll let it stay between all of them. He's just glad the boys – his boys – are happy. 


End file.
